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SHIFT Active Media is the world’s leading marketing agency dedicated to cycling. UK based but operating globally, they now have over 40 staff and they work with some of the best cycling brands in the world including Zwift, SRAM, Rapha and Selle Royal Group.
Starting out as a media planning and buying agency, over the years they’ve evolved, amassing an array of talent from the bike industry, cycling publishing and blue chip advertising agencies to create a team that is built around passion for cycling, yet has deep marketing skills and knowledge.
Managing Director Wayne Brown and Executive Creative Director Matt Doman
The agency now focuses primarily on four key areas, in order to support the cycling brands that they work for, although they insist that it’s not ‘one-size-fits-all’. As Will Fripp, Client Services Director (formerly of Specialized and major UK distributor Madison) says, “Some use SHIFT for just a single agency service like Social Media or Video Production, and we will always happily work with a client’s other agencies, or as is often the case, we collaborate really well with a brand’s internal expertise”. That said, if you want a one-stop shop, SHIFT say they have the team and experience to serve all a brand’s marketing needs, big or small.
One of their fastest growing and more unique offerings is Strategy and Research, which is led by recent recruit, Doug Baker (formerly Head of Strategy at one of the world’s leading digital innovation agencies working on brands such as Nike, Booking.com and HSBC). His love of cycling lured him to join SHIFT at the beginning of 2020. Doug and his team use data, analytics and consumer research to help develop marketing strategy for SHIFT’s clients, this involves speaking directly to thousands of cyclists, across the globe every month. Doug comments: “The volume of research we do with cyclists is unrivalled, we’ve surveyed over 80,000 cyclists in the past 12 months, in 18 separate studies, in 9 markets using 7 languages, covering everything from digital media habits of road cyclists, to commuters’ eBike purchase proposensity and brand tracking studies.”
Recent research study created by Doug Baker and his team
Doug and the strategy team work very closely with SHIFT’s Creative team which is led by advertising industry veteran Matt Doman. He joined the agency in early 2019, and made an immediate impact, helping SHIFT’s clients create standout ad campaigns – such as the recent blockbuster commercial for YT Industries ‘Izzo’. Matt adds: “The range of advertising and marketing we create here at SHIFT is incredible, from cookbooks to horror movies, from product branding to pro team kit, there’s nothing in cycling that my talented team won’t be able to turn its hand to designing or making.”
Matt Doman working with his team on the creative for a new product launch
What Matt’s creative team produces often ends up being served in advertising space bought by SHIFT’s Media Planning and Buying team, who are headed up by digital media and SEO expert, Tom King. The SHIFT media team combines partnerships with Facebook and Google (the agency is a Google Premier Partner, only 3% of all agencies achieve this status), with deep connections to the global specialist cycling media publishers, to help their clients’ employ the latest media knowhow to grow their brands and drive sales. Tom says: “We are proven at planning and executing brand building media campaigns, globally, as well as delivering class-leading, performance-driven digital marketing. We approach media planning with an always-on optimisation mindset, ensuring we are delivering the best return possible from our clients’ marketing investment.”
Tom King with two members of his team who manage the global specialist media buying
The final part of SHIFT Active Media’s agency offering is global Public Relations. Its team of four is managed day to day by Charlotte Sampson who’s been in the cycling industry for more than a decade. As most research indicates that very few elements of the marketing mix have more impact on cycling purchasing decisions than product reviews and placement, the agency has invested heavily in industry-leading database, analytics and SEO technology to help it create global impact and reach with its press office. Charlotte explains: “First we get to know our clients inside and out, then we combine this understanding with the latest PR technology and sheer hard work to ensure we get our clients’ brands and products in front of as many consumers as possible as they research and evaluate their next purchase.”
Charlotte Sampson, Senior PR Manager
This team is led overall by Wayne Brown—Managing Director—who has been running SHIFT Active Media for three years, following a long career running agencies and working with brands such as Google, HSBC, Apple and Toyota, he made the switch to cycling and has never looked back. When asked what SHIFT Active Media’s secret is, he replied: “It’s our single-minded focus on cycling, underpinned by our unique global research and market intelligence, meaning we can always use data to back up our strategic intuition.”
If you would like to learn more about SHIFT Active Media, contact their Business Development Lead - James Dando on james.dando@shiftactivemedia.com
